1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for a package formed by housing wet sheets in a bag made of a flexible packaging material and more particularly to a container of which a case is flexible and allows the package to be easily put in and taken out and which is improved in the effect of keeping the wet sheets from drying out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wet sheets to be used for cleansing the skin, for wiping the excretory parts of an infant when a diaper is changed or for wiping stains off the toilet bowl and the like are typically nonwoven fabrics impregnated with a chemical containing a cleansing ingredient. Wet sheets of this kind are usually supplied and sold in the form of a package formed by housing a number of wet sheets in a bag made of a flexible packaging material. This bag has a dispensing opening and a lid seal is adhered to the bag through a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to cover the dispensing opening.
When taking out the wet sheets, the lid seal, which is peelably adhered to the bag, is peeled to expose the dispensing opening. However, since the lid seal should be peeled against an adhesion force due to the pressure-sensitive adhesive, a relatively large force is required to peel the lid seal, so that it is cumbersome to peel the lid seal over and over again.
After a few wet sheets are taken out, moreover, the lid seal should be adhered to the bag without leaving wrinkles so as to completely close the dispensing opening. If not, wet sheets left in the bag cannot be prevented completely from drying out. However, since the bag is made of a flexible packaging material, adhering the lid seal to the bag again is likely to make wrinkles in the packaging material or the lid seal. Thus, complete adhesion of the lid seal to the bag at a location around the dispensing opening is not easy to achieve.
On the other hand, containers have been developed for household use so as to house the packages therein. Such a container includes a rigid case made of a plastic material and a separable part for insertion of the package into the case. In addition, the container has an opening for facing the dispensing opening of the package housed therein, as well as a rigid lid movably mounted to open and close the opening.
The package is housed in the container with the lid seal removed to expose the dispensing opening. Opening the rigid lid enables removal of wet sheets out of the package, and after take out of wet sheets, the container can be sealed by closing the lid. The rigid lid of the container is easier to operate than the lid seal of the package.
However, such a rigid container, which is suitable for stationary use in the home, is not suitable for portable use outside the home.
In addition, when the package is housed in the container, a relatively large space is left between the outer surface of the package and the inner surface of the container and it communicates with the inside of the package through the dispensing opening. Since moisture contained in the wet sheets inside the package is allowed to evaporate into this space, the wet sheets are liable to dry out.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-70056 discloses a lid body to be mounted on the bag of the package.
This lid body has an openable plate and is adhered to the bag of the package through a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape or the like to thereby cover the dispensing opening with the openable plate. In this invention, the dispensing opening of the package can be easily exposed and closed by operating the openable plate. In addition, since a single lid body can be used several times for different packages, this invention contributes to resource saving and reduction of waste generation.
However, the lid body, which is fixed on the bag through an adhesion force of the tape, is liable to fall off the package when an external force is exerted on the lid body during portable use. Particularly when a shearing force is exerted to slide the lid body on the package, the adhesion force alone cannot withstand the shearing force, so that the lid body is liable to fall off the package. If the lid body falls off the package during portable use outside the home, the dispensing opening of the package is left opened to let the wet sheets dry out.